We have enjoyed creating The Model Railway Show but after two and a half years, in which we have produced 52 regular episodes and a number of specials, Jim, Trevor, Chris, Otto and David have decided it’s time to get back to our work benches.

This podcast was a volunteer effort – a labour of love – and while we enjoyed interviewing so many great guests and creating these shows, it has demanded a fair bit of hobby time.

The good news is, you can still listen to, and download, all of our episodes – right back to the very first show.

** You will find links to each show in the Episode Listings section of our website. **

This episode of The Model Railway Show is brought to you by the team at The Model Railway Show. Thanks for listening – you’ve been great!

Go Run Your Trains!

In this episode…

Robert Simmons, layout builder and used ambulance owner.Lance Mindheim, author and layout builder.

—

Emergency!

Packing a layout to take to a show is always a lot of work, but having the right vehicle helps – a lot. Just ask Robert Simmons. Robert needed a better way to transport a large N scale layout to exhibitions – and he found the perfect ride in the form of a used ambulance.

Robert joins Jim to explain why a cast-off emergency services vehicle is a great way to transport a layout. He describes the modifications he had to make to make the ambulance legal for civilian use, and how owning and driving an ambulance differs a pickup truck or cube van. And while he’s never been called upon to save lives at a miniature railway, Robert does note many people slow down and pull to the side of the road to let him past.

Many hobbyists talk about the day when they’ll have a basement-filling (or quonset-hut-filling) multi-deck empire. In the meantime, they do without a layout because they don’t feel they have the space to build something satisfying. And for some, who acquire the space they feel they need, they find that the layout they build is so overwhelming that the hobby becomes a job, and – eventually – the layout sits idle while the builder finds other ways to occupy their time.

What’s up with that?

Lance Mindheim – a regular on the show – gets the last word as he joins Trevor to discuss an important, but often overlooked, part of the layout design process: How we plan to interact with our layout in a way that is satisfying and achievable. Understanding the factors that affect our hobby – from the amount of spare time we have to fill, to the availability of friends to help build and operate the layout – is key to our happiness in the layout room.

Lance feels we should strive to operate our layouts frequently – several times per week. To do this, we must be able to run short sessions – anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on how much time we have – and be able to run these sessions solo, or with one or two other people. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom in the hobby, in which a large layout capable of hosting multi-hour marathon sessions for a dozen or more hobbyists.

You can read more about his idea on Lance’s blog (look for the September 30, 2012 entry – also reproduced as a feature for Railroad Model Craftsman online). Meantime, Lance joins Trevor to explain the value of this approach and how to apply it to existing layouts, as well as new designs.

We have enjoyed creating The Model Railway Show but after two and a half years, in which we have produced 52 regular episodes and a number of specials, Jim, Trevor, Chris, Otto and David have decided it’s time to get back to our work benches.

This podcast was a volunteer effort – a labour of love – and while we enjoyed interviewing so many great guests and creating these shows, it has demanded a fair bit of hobby time. So with this episode, we turn off the mics at The Model Railway Show.

Thanks for listening – you’ve been great! – and we’ll see you down the line, somewhere, sometime…

It’s time to challenge another convention in model railroading – namely, that for a beginning hobbyist who is building a first layout, the best design choice is the 4×8 rectangle.

For decades, the 4×8 has been a staple of track planning, particularly in HO scale – in no small part because it’s the most common size used for plywood sheet goods in North America. And while 4×8 layout designs still feature regularly in magazines, books, and online, a number of modelers who enjoy thinking about layout design feel it’s time to do away with the plywood slab.

But this raises a question: If the 4×8 is not the best choice for a starter layout, then what is? As more experienced hobbyists, we’ll never be able to retire the so-called “sacred sheet” unless we can offer beginners some suitable alternatives.

Utah resident and life-long hobbyist Scott Perry has taken up that challenge, and developed an alternative design for a beginner’s layout. It’s called The Heart of Georgia Railroad – The HOG for short. The HOG is an 8×9 layout that one operates from the middle. (It actually has a smaller footprint than the traditional 4×8, which requires 8×12 when one adds a 24″ access/operating aisle around each side of the plywood slab.)

Scott joins Trevor to discuss how this design came about, why he wanted to offer an alternative to the 4×8, and share some of the success The HOG has enjoyed.

—

What’s up at Woodland Scenics

Older modelers will remember the days of dyed sawdust, zip texturing and – gasp – mixing asbestos into plaster to make it stronger. We’ve come a long way in scenery-building, and in North America at least that’s thanks in large part to one company: Woodland Scenics. Four decades ago, this company popularized products and techniques that were previously used primarily in the architecture profession. More importantly, the company developed a scenery system – a complete approach to everything from foundation to finish, with rocks, trees, ballast, ground covers, plus the how-to manuals and videos that took the mystery out of building scenery.

Woodland Scenics spokesperson Lynn Mitchell joins Jim to discuss the company’s role in the hobby. She also describes the fire that broke out just over a year ago at the company’s facility in Linn Creek, Missouri. And she provides a teaser for what’s to come this year from Woodland Scenics.

It’s an an outstanding achievement for anybody in the hobby, but what makes Joel’s story most remarkable is that he accomplished this feat before his 13th birthday – making him the youngest MMR in the NMRA’s long history.

Joel joins Jim to explain how he earned MMR 503 by working on his layout – a tribute to Allen McCelland‘s Virginian & Ohio. He explains what the process taught him about the hobby, and about himself. And he offers suggestions to others who might want to pursue their Master Model Railroader through the NMRA’s achievement program.

—

Let the kids eat at the adult table

Many hobbyists would call Greg Amer a very brave man. That’s because Greg – a locomotive engineer for BNSF who is building a sophisticated switching layout based on his day job – is determined to involve his two young sons Patrick and Lorenzo. (We call that “Being a Great Dad”!)

As Greg notes on his layout blog, “My personal goal for this layout is to keep my boys interested in trains. I want them participate in construction and operations. Much will be beyond their skill level, so it will be a learning process.”

Greg joins Trevor to describe some of the challenges of mixing a high-quality layout and two young helpers, how he’s using the layout to teach the kids important lessons and how they overcome practical considerations such as building a layout that’s taller than the kids.

Greg shares ideas for giving kids a sense of ownership and explains why it’s important to him to work on this very grown-up project with his kids.

Dave Frary needs no introduction – especially not to narrow gauge enthusiasts who look to the eastern seaboard for inspiration.

In the 1970s, Dave and his friend Bob Hayden introduced many hobbyists to the charms of HOn30 with their influential, four-part Thatcher’s Inlet series for Railroad Model Craftsman magazine. (If you missed it the first time around, that series can be found online at the HOn30 Home Depot as a 22-page PDF.) Dave has also penned a number of books (including the go-to guide for scenery, How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery) and hosts a series of DVDs and downloadable videos – all available through his Blue Ribbon Models website.

Dave joins Jim to discuss the demands of building a layout for a museum, his long-time friendship with Bob, how the scenery book came about, and the aspect of scenery-building that scares modelers the most.

While all of Gordon’s modeling is of exceptional quality, what you’re likely to remember most are the trees. Gordon builds some of the most realistic trees ever seen on a model railway – and, so that you can too, he has written two books that describe his techniques. They’re called Modelling Trees Volume 1 (Broadleaf) and Modelling Trees Volume 2 (Conifers), both available from Wild Swan Publications in the UK.

Gordon joins Trevor (who was fighting a nasty cold at the time) to discuss why he feels it’s important to model trees correctly on a layout and how his techniques evolved. He also discusses why he looked across the English Channel to Brittany to pick a French meter gauge subject for his layout, and why he built Pempoul in the unusual scale of 1:50.

This episode of The Model Railway Show is made possible with the support of O Scale Trains magazine.

Small Details :: Grand Designs

In this episode…

Andy Reichert, owner, Proto:87 Stores.Brooks Stover, author.

—

The Accurate Track Emporium

Digital cameras make great modeling tools, but the ability to see our layouts larger than life on a computer screen means the little details – or lack of them – start to make a difference. Those wanting to build a layout that looks as lifelike as possible must pay attention to many aspects of modeling, including how they model track. Football-sized spikes just don’t cut it.

Modelers looking to improve the appearance of their track work often turn to finescale options. In HO scale, that means Proto:87, and for these modelers, Andy Reichert‘s track components are essential. Andy runs Proto:87 Stores, which offers a selection of track-building supplies – from spikes to switch components – to build accurate track in Proto:87 and in regular HO. Many modelers working in other scales and gauges are making use of his products, too.

Andy joins Trevor to discuss why he started Proto:87 Stores and how hobbyists are using his products to build more realistic track.

This time out, Brooks and Jim continue their conversation as they switch their focus to Brooks’ beautiful S scale layout. Brooks has written a book about his layout, in which he offers four good pieces of layout planning advice.

He and Jim discuss the four principles that helped Brooks design, build and complete a satisfying layout in a remarkably short period of time. If your layout is languishing while you sweat the small stuff, Brooks’ approach may be just what the doctor ordered.

If you’re an armchair modeler, here’s a New Year’s resolution worth keeping: Get out of the chair and start on a well-designed layout that will be quick to build and detail to a high level, yet also offer opportunities for engaging operating sessions. Not possible? Don’t tell James McNab, who is proving it can be done.

Brooks Stover has written a lot about his S scale layout, which replicates the Buffalo Creek and Gauley – a West Virginia short line. But he admits that one of the most satisfying articles he’s written is not about his layout. The article appeared in the September 2009 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine – and it’s about Brooks’ website.

Brooks joins Jim to explain why he decided to create the web site and the rewards of putting one’s layout and research online. He hopes others consider doing the same to showcase their layout or models. (We do too, and suggest it’s a great New Year’s resolution to make – and keep – for 2013!)

—

As Jim and Trevor discuss in this episode, blogging is an easy way to create a web presence – one that does not require a huge amount of technical expertise.

Two popular providers that can get you up and blogging immediately – and at no cost – are WordPress (which Trevor uses to maintain a blog for his layout) and Blogger (used for the blog written by members of the S Scale Workshop – a modular group to which both Jim and Trevor belong).

Trevor and Jim also mention some upcoming events:

Railroad Hobby Show – Springfield MA – January 26-27
Jim and other members of the S Scale Workshop will be displaying their modular layout for the first time at this huge annual show. You’ll find them at Section 166 of the Mallary Complex – drop by and say hello to Jim!

The model railway hobby is full of sub-hobbies, and for Seth Neumann and Chris Drome one of those sub-hobbies is electronics. They enjoy developing high-tech systems to enhance operation on Seth’s HO scale, modern-era layout.

Taking their cue from today’s full-size railroads, which use Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) systems to track rolling stock, Seth and Chris have developed a similar system for Seth’s layout. It relies on Radio Frequency Identification – a proven and popular system for inventory control, lost pet identification, and other tracking needs.

As Seth and Chris tell Trevor, the layout’s RFID system uses tags on each piece of equipment to be tracked, plus readers to track them. They note the installation has proven to be very reliable and has enhanced operating sessions. They also offer some suggestions for those looking for more information, including the RFID for Model Railroading Yahoo Group.

—

Effective use of color on model railways: an artist’s perspective

Troels Kirk doesn’t like airbrushes and he doesn’t believe hobbyists need dozens of custom-mixed paint colors. He also prefers paper over wood or styrene when building structures.

Troels, a Danish artist living in Sweden, is a prolific model-builder who regularly publishes progress photos on the Coast Line RR’s page on Facebook, offering a near-daily dose of inspiration. His techniques are described on a one-hour DVD called Realistic Color for Railroad Modeling, available directly from Troels.

He joins Jim to discuss his interest in Maine railroading, his use of color, and how his work as an artist influences his approach to the hobby.

—

How to listen:

Right-click (Windows) or hold Control and click (Mac OS) on the following link for downloading options:Episode 46 (mp3)

Gene Fowler said, “Sit starting at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead”, while William Wordsworth urged us to, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart”. They were both referring to the art of writing – but they could have been making observations about the process of designing a model railway.

A rewarding layout design will render the qualities of model railroading that most engage the hobbyist, and serve as a blueprint for turning those ideas and inspirations into a layout. Conversely, a poor concept will deliver a layout-lifetime worth of disappointment. And the blank canvas – whether on paper or a screen – can be the most intimidating aspect of the hobby. After all, once we know what we want to build, we only need to figure out how to build it.

This is a problem that layout designers have faced since the first time a person looked at a toy train and thought it needed a better place to run than a temporary loop of track set up on the parlor floor.

There’s always been help. The hobby’s history is filled with notable layout designers – pioneers like Frank Ellison, John Allen, John Armstrong and Allen McClelland. These people, and the layouts they built – radically changed the way hobbyists think about design. But until the early 1980s, layout design evolution occurred on an ad-hoc basis.

What changed? In 1982, the Layout Design Special Interest Group was created. The LDSIG has helped identify, codify and share best practices for layout designers. Directly and indirectly, it has influenced most of the most highly-regarded layout designers in North America and around the world. And it has grown from one guy with an idea into a not-for-profit, educational organization with a global membership.

That one guy with an idea is Doug Gurin, the LDSIG’s founder and the person that notable layout designers go to when they need to bounce ideas of someone.

Doug joins Trevor to describe how he got interested in layout design, why and how the LDSIG was started and the wide range of topics that layout design addresses. He also offers some thoughts on the unchartered territory – the areas in which he thinks the next generation of notable layout designers will make their mark on the hobby.

The NMRA is working with the California State Railroad Museum – one of the top attractions in the state – to create and host a long-term exhibit called The Magic of Scale Model Railroading.

As NMRA President Charlie Getz tells Jim, the museum is prepared to donate the space for a minimum of 10 years, making this a remarkable opportunity to showcase the best of this hobby to hundreds of thousands of museum visitors each year. He notes this will also provide a means to exhibit the NMRA’s collection of significant models, layout sections and even entire layouts, making them available for hobbyists to enjoy first-hand. It will tell the story of the history of scale model railroading. And it will put the NMRA on track to create a permanent museum for its collection.

But for this to happen, the NMRA must raise a significant amount of money to create museum-quality signs and display cases. If you want to contribute, you may do so through the NMRA’s donations page. Be sure to select “Magic of Scale Model Gallery” from the choices offered.

While it’s an ambitious project, Charlie is convinced this is the NMRA’s most significant undertaking in its history.

—

The Model Railroad Club of Toronto

On this show, Jim and Trevor note that another notable club layout is being forced out of its home in the name of progress. This time, it’s The Model Railroad Club of Toronto, an O scale club that has been active for three quarters of a century. The club must vacate its premises in the spring of 2013 and is having two last rounds of open houses – in December and February. Toronto is a world-class city with many attractions for the whole family, so if you’re looking for a mid-winter getaway, why not consider a visit and sneak in an hour or two to visit the club?

How to listen:

Right-click (Windows) or hold Control and click (Mac OS) on the following link for downloading options:Episode 45 (mp3)

Members of the National Model Railroad Association welcomed a new president at 2012 annual convention – held this past summer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. But Charlie Getz is well-known to many in the hobby, especially those whose interests tend to be “narrow-minded”. Charlie is a regular columnist for the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette and a popular speaker at the annual National Narrow Gauge Conventions.

Charle joins Jim to describe his goals as the new president of the NMRA, and provides some teasers about plans to boost the benefits of membership.

—

Layout as Training Tool

There’s a long history of prototype railroads using models as training tools – for everything from learning to switch cars safely, to understanding the nuances of dispatching and signalling. And that tradition continues today. When planning an educational display for a corporate banquet, a group of employees from the Lake Division of Norfolk Southern Corp turned to the hobby world for inspiration.

Dave Arnovitz – Terminal Superintendent for Norfolk Southern in Detroit – recruited hobbyists Mark Olstyn and Greg Rich to build the portable layout. Mark and Greg created a 12′ long switching layout featuring a pair of identical yards – allowing two, two-person teams to switch cars while learning about safe operating procedures. At Dave’s request, they delivered a fully-scenicked layout with its own case for transportation – and accomplished this in approximately two months.

Dave joins Trevor to discuss how the project came about, and how this interactive lesson in railroad safety has now become a permanent training tool for the railroad.

How to listen:

Right-click (Windows) or hold Control and click (Mac OS) on the following link for downloading options:Episode 44 (mp3)